laography | sing me something soft, sad, and delicate

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sing me something soft, sad, and delicate

[ Though it'd been surprising to learn that Norman had the voice of an angel-- and Raz would say it every single time, regardless of how flustered the medium ever got over the whole thing-- it wasn't particularly surprising to learn that he had a major case of stage fright. Hell, you didn't even have to stick him in front of a lot of people to know that he was more of a wallflower than Dipper, just watch him in a smaller setting and watch how he gravitated away from most people.

So while they'd had difficulties getting Norman to even do vocals for their 'band' when it was just the two of them, it didn't even hold a candle to trying to talk him into performing on a stage. Even a little one.

Which lead to the brainstorming session where he and Dipper had opted to take him out to a karaoke bar.

That was proving pretty difficult to accomplish, too. ]

Seriously Norman, it'll be fine. We'll have our own little corner, we won't even have to go out into the like. Main area with all the people.

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[Norman went quiet. Singing was just kind of this thing he did in private. He really didn't think he was actually good. The idea of singing to others was, while terrifying, not a bad one. He just.

Had that barrier to breach.

He tapped his fingers on the table- a nervous habit.]

Okay. If you guys can get me to do an entire song- I'll do it.

Hey, at least I bring a variety of them home instead of just classic shit every time, okay.

[ Reaching around behind Norman's head, he doofed at Dipper's own before forming a psionic hand to reach and snatch the song list and offer it to Norman. ]

Just look at it this way-- you don't manage to get through a whole song, that's cool. You're getting free drinks out of this. It's on my tab.

[ Or, well. The Psychonaut Agency's tab. ]

[Dipper let out an indignant 'hey!' when he was smacked in the back of the head and the song list was snatched from him, reaching up to rub the spot Raz had doofed with a small grumble.]

He's right. We don't really mind if you don't make it through a whole song. Just look at this as a getting to know new friends thing or something.

[Oh. For all their insistence earlier, he was expecting more of a protest to his ultimatum. Maybe they weren't quite as nuts as he thought- Raz being psychic aside. That was still pretty weird.

He wondered if he could say somethig about his--

NOPE. stop that, he can read your mind! ]

All right.

[He looked down at the list, trying to find one that he actually knew.]

[ Cocking a grin at Dipper's protest, Raz just kicked back after grabbing a drink from the tray and left Norman to scanning the list. ]

You won't even have to sing any BABBA.

[ If he was reading Norman's mind, he wasn't going to comment on what he was gathering thus far from the experience. (He wasn't, actually, because Norman already seemed skittish enough. He really didn't need the bonus of a psychic poking at him.) ]

Oh come on, they're not that bad. Besides, they've been broken up for seven years now.

[Dipper just tugged his beanie down with a forlorn sigh after getting his own drink from the tray, sliding down a little to prop his feet up on the edge of the table. He does lean in slightly to watch Norman scan the list, coughing something that sounded suspiciously like 'Queen' under his breath.]

[Norman has to snort a little. Wow, Dipper must really unironically like BABBA.

But okay, let's see here. He waved off Dipper's suggestion of Queen. He had to be a lot drunker to do something like that. That was a hell of a pair of shoes to fill and he didn't think he was quite that good.

Also everyone would probably look over to where they're sitting. Nope.

Norman took another generous swig of his glass, knocking it to about half gone before he nodded and set the list down on the table. He leaned back and for a brief moment, started to conjure the words in his head. Okay, good he still knew that one.]

[But he wasn't about to get on stage for that. Not yet. So Norman was just going to sit back in their booth and start quietly singing.]

When you were here before, couldn't look you in the eye. You're just like an angel, your skin makes me cry...

Okay, they're kind of catchy.

[ Or a band of earworms, either or. Raz wouldn't quite admit yet that he didn't really mind them anymore, because he was pretty sure he could already imagine Dipper's smug face.

He fell quiet as he took some leisurely sips of his drink, crossing his ankles where he had his feet up on the table (thankfully away from the tray of drinks). But when he heard Norman singing to himself, both of his eyebrows quirked and he looked his way.

Leaning just enough to peer around the boy between them, he sent a look Dipper's way, brows still arched up high on his face. ]

[Dipper would have responded to that had Norman not started singing. He went quiet, nodding his head slightly to the song. He really had to ponder Norman's song choice, but really you couldn't go wrong with Radiohead.

He took a swig of his drink before noticing Raz staring at him from around Norman, looking at his roommate with a grin and a tilt of his head. They'd hit the jackpot.]

[And he sings for a little while. He keeps his eyes down at his drink and he does pretty damn good to pretend no one else is there. Sadly though, its that silence that kind of gets to him, realizing that they're listening to him, and his cheeks burn red. He stumbles on the words and quickly grabs his drinks, drowning out the embarrassment.]

[ They'd hit a very skittish jackpot that didn't do well when there were other people actually listening to the performance. But it was still progress, getting him to sing even quietly out in public the way he was.

Without a word at first, Raz simply gives Norman a pat on the shoulder before he drops his feet from the table, leaning over his knees and knocking back the rest of his drink. ]

Good start.

[Dipper raised an eyebrow a little when Norman choked on the words, but gave him a small smile. Heck, it had taken him a long time to sing without the bathroom around him, but even then his voice wasn't like that. Wow. He almost mimics Raz in knocking down his drink at the same time, setting the glass down on the table before reaching for his second.]

Yeah. Nobody gets over stage fright in one song. Ask Mister Psychologist over there.

[Killing that whole glace in one go did wonders to get him calm again. Though his face was still a little red he looked back up at them and gave a curious glance to Raz.]

You're a psychology major?

Aha, yeah, well. [ Raz scratched at his cheek with a finger as he reached to get another glass. Talking about being a psychic didn't bother him, but he'd learned pretty fast that his... academic history was something that was pretty easy for people to misunderstand. ]

College is actually the first time I've ever gone to school. I was raised in the circus, y'know? Couldn't really attend school. But I went to a camp for psychics every summer since I was ten, and I've been a Psychonaut just as long-- which is a, uh, psychic agent.

So majoring in psychology is a breeze for me, just don't expect me to solve any math problems or something.

Trust me, I do all his math homework when he gets it.

[Raz's whole background wasn't new to Dipper, unsurprisingly given their situation. He adjusted his glasses, crossing one ankle over the other. Talking about school would be a good way to break the ice.

Heck, they were probably rude to not get to know Norman first in a way, but getting to know each other at a karaoke bar was probably a good thing since the singer seemed a bit skittish around new people. Dipper took a sip of his new drink before continuing.]

I'm majoring in mythology and cryptozoology though, so it's not like I get math problems much.

[Norman wasn't much of a drinker so he was already starting to feel the effects of his last drink. Despite that, nothing stopped him from reaching for his second.]

[What a strange double major. He wouldn't have expected it from Dipper. Given the way he kind of presents himself, he pictured him as a creative writing, english major sort. Cryptozoology was a dubious study to most people. Well, to people who didn't know what was out there, which he did.

Raz was psychic and Dipper was a researcher- he had a feeling there was a lot more to these guys than just roomates playing in a band. Normally he would have been a lot more guarded, but Norman was a lightweight- alcohol made him talk.]

You know, I read True Psychic Tales. I know what a Psychonaut is. I even know the camp you're talking about is called Whispering Rock.

[He glanced between them.]

I work in a morgue. I study criminal justice.

[ Raz very nearly choked on his drink when Norman started talking again, winding up with it all over his chin. He'd originally been about to make a sound of agreement towards Dipper doing his sporadic math homework-- god he was a psychology major why did he need to do math-- and a look of thanks for it, because seriously, but that just--

He knew about Whispering Rock. He read True Psychic Tales. There was more to Norman Babcock than they had initially perceived.

Wiping his drink off his chin with the back of a gloved hand, he squinted a little at Norman, glanced at Dipper briefly, then back to Norman. This wasn't what he anticipated at all.

But a slow, easy little grin came back to him, and he cocked a brow. ]

I take it you've probably read about Agent Razputin Aquato, then.

[ His mind was working to piece together what he could from all this new information-- knowing about the Psychonauts and the camp, working in a morgue, studying criminal justice... ]

[Dipper pretty much spat his drink back into his glass as well, meeting Raz's gaze for that one instance. During the school months at home he used to look things up online a lot of the time and had found True Psychic Tales that way.

It was an interesting read really, but at the same time he'd only read it once because of his past with psychics like Gideon, and his parents had once thought about sending him and Mabel to Whispering Rock one summer.

But still...he pursed his lips together as he started piecing it himself, leaning back in his seat before rolling his eyes and sipping his drink again.]

Don't get a big head just because he might've heard of you, Raz. Like your ego needs more stroking.

Holy shit.

[That was really all he had to say about it. Raz was- Man. What kind of night was this. What was a psychonaut doing playing in a band and studying psych-- Ah. Well, at least psychology makes a little more sense. ]

I um.

I was invited there once. A long time ago.

Oh shut it, Dipper.

[ Because all work and no play makes Raz kind of stircrazy, and Sasha had suggested the college thing to their superiors and his parents. It would be an interesting experience, they said. Give him a more academic insight into his work.

Well, he couldn't argue any of that now. ]

We would've met, probably. I'm a junior counselor, and used to take my mission assignments from the camp master.

[ Man, he really missed Ford sometimes. But despite the thought of his mentor-- or maybe because of, considering the kind of man he was-- Raz regarded Norman curiously. ]

[Dipper hummed a little bit around his glass before pulling it away from his mouth, draping an arm across his stomach. So many instances where things could have happened...really it was kind of fascinating.]

We might've all met. Mom and dad were going to send me and Mabel there one summer because of the weird stuff in Gravity Falls, but Mabel was really the one that kept getting possessed, not me.

[Oops, who wants to talk about possession?]

[Well, that sure explained a lot. Norman wasn't sure if he felt more or less at eased with these two because of that knowledge. He drained a little more of his drink. The weird coincidence of this camp and the three of them was bizarre as hell though.]

I talk to dead people. I've been possessed a lot.

Wait, seriously? You never told me that.

[ Raz scrunched his face at Dipper, in regards to him and his twin almost attending Whispering Rock. Jeez, what was this night? Sure, he'd learned a lot about Gravity Falls and the Pines, but he'd never anticipated that information before.

But all thoughts regarding that were completely derailed, and his attention snapped to Norman. Eyes wide, he visibly perked. ]

You're a medium? Like, legit? Oh man, so few psychics can attain mediumship-- there's only like, a handful of fully-certified mediums in the agency here in the States, I think.

Well, I didn't really see it as necessary information to give.

[He gave a small shrug and in truth he really hadn't. What was the use of dwelling on things that wouldn't be? He had to blink a little at Norman's admission, surprised. Until Raz, everyone he'd met that claimed to have some kind of psychic ability had been a phony.]

I've met ghosts before. Can't say it was really a pleasant experience.

[That explained why they'd been so unhappy at his refusal to attend way back in the day. It also explained a lot of the shenanigans that occurred to him as he was growing up. He didn't know what he would have done if it hadn't been for Neil sticking by him.]

[If middle school had been a trial, High school had definitely been the test.]

Ghosts depend a lot on circumstance. They're people, just like everyone else. Sometimes they're vengeful and dangerous, sometimes they're scared and lonely. Sometimes all they need is an ear.

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